ANNOUNCEMENTS/CEREMONIAL ACTIVITIES

There were no announcements or ceremonial activities.

ROLL CALL

Vice-Chair Poirier and Member Kapur were absent from the meeting.

REGRETS

Vice-Chair Poirier and Member Kapur sent regrets.

DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST(INCLUDING THOSE ORIGINALLY ARISING FROM PRIOR MEETINGS)

No declarations of pecuniary interest were filed.

CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

Confirmation of minutes of the meeting of December 11, 2017.

CONFIRMED

COMMUNICATIONS

Six communication items have been received (held on file with Board of Health Secretary).

MOTION TO INTRODUCE REPORTS

Motion 21/01

Moved by Member Pinel

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Confirmation of the Chair and Vice-Chair report, the Verbal Report by the Chair of the Board of Health, the Verbal Update by Dr. Vera Etches, Acting Medical Officer of Health, the Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention – Follow-Up Report, the Preparing for the Legalization of Cannabis report, the Healthy Eating, Active Living: Have Your Say – Protecting Vulnerable Populations Through Restrictions in Marketing of Food and Beverages report, the Ottawa Board of Health Public Health Funding and Accountability Agreement - 2017 Year-End Results report, and the Attendance at the Association of Local Public Health Agencies’ (Alpha) Board of Health Section Meeting report be received and considered;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Rules of Procedure be suspended to receive and consider a presentation on the subject of “Options for the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment of a Medical Officer of Health”.

CARRIED

1.

CONFIRMATION OF THE CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR

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That the Board of Health for the City of Ottawa Health Unit:

1.        Confirm the election of Councillor Shad Qadri as Chair for 2018, to be confirmed at the first meeting of each year of its term as required by the Health Protection and Promotion Act; and

2.        Confirm the election of Member Jo-Anne Poirier as Vice-Chair for 2018, to be confirmed at the first meeting of each year of its term as required by the Health Protection and Promotion Act.

CARRIED

Pursuant to section 5(2) of the Procedure By-law, the Board Secretary presided over the first recommendation with respect to the confirmation of the election of the Chair. Upon the carriage of recommendation one, Chair Qadri, having been confirmed as Chair, presided over the second recommendation with respect to the confirmation of the election of the Vice-Chair. Vice-Chair Poirier was confirmed as Vice-Chair of the Board.

2.

CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH VERBAL REPORT

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That the Board of Health for the City of Ottawa Health Unit receive this report for information.

RECEIVED

Chair Qadri provided the Board with an update on recent events. The Chair’s verbal report took approximately five minutes. The attached memo includes the Chair of the Board of Health Verbal Update. The report was then received by the Board.

3.

MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH VERBAL REPORT

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That the Board of Health for the City of Ottawa Health Unit receive this report for information.

RECEIVED

Dr. Very Etches, Interim Medical Officer of Health, provided the Board with an update on recent events. This verbal update lasted approximately fifteen minutes. The attached memo includes her Verbal Update. The report was then received by the Board.

4.

HARM REDUCTION AND OVERDOSE PREVENTION – FOLLOW-UP REPORT

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That the Board of Health for the City of Ottawa Health Unit:

1.           Receive, for information, the evaluation of the interim Supervised Injection Service, as summarized in this report and detailed in Document1;

2.           Approve that a permanent supervised consumption site (SCS) be established at 179 Clarence Street, to be operated by OPH, and that Ottawa Public Health (OPH) submit a request to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) for ongoing base and one-time capital funding (100%) in order to provide the permanent SCS, as outlined in this report; and

3.            Approve that Ottawa Public Health work with partners to prepare for a comprehensive overdose cluster prevention and response across the City of Ottawa, as described in this report.

CARRIED

Mr. Andrew Hendriks, Director of Health Protection, spoke to a PowerPoint presentation, which served to provide the Board with an overview of the report. Mr. Hendriks was accompanied by Ms. Kira Mandryk, Supervisor, Harm Reduction Services, and Mr. Cal Martell, Vice-President of Integration, Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). For his part, Mr. Martell spoke to a PowerPoint presentation in which he outlined the Champlain LHIN’s role and investments with respect to opioid addiction prevention and treatment as well as system navigation.

A copy of both presentations is held on file with the Board of Health Secretary.

The following delegations addressed the Board on this topic:

·         Simone Thibault, Executive Director of the Centretown Community Health Centre and Joanna Binch, Nurse Practitioner with the Somerset West Community Health Centre;

·         Naini Cloutier, Executive Director of the Somerset West Community Health Centre, accompanied by peer educators Karen Whitehead and Mika Conboy; and

·         Guy Annable, resident.

After hearing from the delegations, Mr. Hendriks and Mr. Martell resumed taking questions from Board members. Discussion on this item lasted approximately 95 minutes. Following these exchanges, the Board approved the report recommendations.

At 6:55 p.m., during discussion of this item, the Board considered the following motion, to extend the time of the meeting.

Motion 21/02

Moved by Member Pinel

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Board of Health approve that the meeting time be extended past 7:00 p.m. pursuant to Subsection 8.(1)(c) of the Procedural By-law.

CARRIED

5.

PREPARING FOR THE LEGALIZATION OF NON-MEDICAL CANNABIS

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That the Board of Health for the City of Ottawa Health Unit:

1.           Receive, for information, the Acting Medical Officer of Health’s submission to the Health Canada consultation regarding the Federal government’s proposed approach to the regulation of cannabis, as outlined in Document 1, attached;

2.           Adopt a formal Ottawa Board of Health position on the regulations for cannabis production, packaging and labelling, based on the recommendations outlined in Document 1, attached; and

3.           Receive, for information, Ottawa Public Health’s plan to reduce the harms from cannabis use.

CARRIED, as amended by Motion 21/03

Ms. Gillian Connelly, Manager of Healthy Communities, accompanied by Ms. Jessica Brett, Public Health Nurse, Chronic Disease Prevention, spoke to a PowerPoint presentation, which served to provide the Board with some context on this report. A copy of the presentation is held on file with the Board of Health Secretary.

Following the presentation, Ms. Connelly and Dr. Etches responded to questions from Board Members. This discussion lasted approximately 35 minutes. Following these exchanges, the Board approved the report recommendations, as amended by Motion 21/03.

Motion 21/03

Moved by Member Pinel

WHEREAS page 5 of the report titled “Preparing for the Legalization of Non-Medical Cannabis” speaks a number of regulatory proposals that accompanied the recently passed provincial Cannabis Act, one of which closes on February 7; and

WHEREAS on February 3, 2018, Board Members were circulated Ottawa Public Health’s proposed submission to the Ontario government on proposed regulations relating to cannabis retail and distribution;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Health for the City of Ottawa Health Unit receive the proposed submission to the Ontario government on proposed regulations relating to cannabis retail and distribution, circulated to Board Members on February 3, 2018, as Document 4 to the report titled “Preparing for the Legalization of Non-Medical Cannabis”; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Health for the City of Ottawa Health Unit adopt, as its formal position, the proposed submission to the Ontario government on proposed regulations relating to cannabis retail and distribution, as outlined in Document 4 and direct the Board Secretary to submit it to the Ontario Government in advance of its deadline of February 7, 2018.

CARRIED

6.

HEALTHY EATING, ACTIVE LIVING – MARKETING OF UNHEALTHY FOOD AND BEVERAGES: NEXT STEPS

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That the Board of Health for the City of Ottawa Health Unit

1.        Receive, for information, the results of the consultation for marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children and youth in Ottawa 2017, as detailed in Document 3; and

2.        Approve Ottawa Public Health’s 2018 Approach to Marketing Unhealthy Food and Beverages to Children and Youth, as described in this report.

CARRIED

Ms. Gillian Connelly, Manager of Healthy Communities, accompanied by Ms. Sonia Jean-Phillipe and Ms. Emily Spencer, Public Health Nutritionists, spoke to a PowerPoint presentation, which served to provide the Board with some context on this report. A copy of the presentation is held on file with the Board of Health Secretary.

Following the presentation, Ms. Connelly responded to questions from Board Members. This discussion lasted approximately 10 minutes. Following these exchanges, the Board approved the report recommendations.

7.

OTTAWA BOARD OF HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING AND ACCOUNTABILITY AGREEMENT – 2017 YEAR-END RESULTS

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That the Board of Health for the City of Ottawa Health Unit receive for information the 2017 year-end results and related information, as outlined in this report.

RECEIVED

8.

ATTENDANCE AT THE ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES’ (alPHa) BOARD OF HEALTH SECTION MEETING

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That the Board of Health for the City of Ottawa Health Unit approve the attendance of Member Qaqish at the Association of Local Public Health Agencies’ (alPHa) Board of Health Section Meeting, to be held February 23, 2018 in Toronto.

CARRIED

9.

OPTIONS FOR THE RECRUITMENT, SELECTION AND APPOINTMENT OF A MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH

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That the Board of Health for the City of Ottawa Health Unit receive this item for information with respect to options for the recruitment, selection and appointment of a Medical Officer of Health, including the timelines and cost implications related to same, as outlined in the presentation.

RECEIVED, as amended by Motion 21/04

Chair Qadri introduced this item. Following these opening remarks, Board Members received a presentation from Ms. Valérie Bietlot, Acting Program Manager with OPH and Legal Counsel with the City of Ottawa. The presentation outlined the legislative requirements and Ministry guidelines with respect to the recruitment, selection and appointment of a Medical Officer of Health and provided an overview of options available to the Board, based on precedent. Following the presentation, the Board approved Motion 21/04 and RECEIVED this item, as amended by the aforementioned motion.

Motion 21/04

Moved by Member Fleury

WHEREAS on November 8, 2017, Dr. Isra Levy provided notice of his resignation from the City of Ottawa Health Unit, effective January 8, 2018; and

WHEREAS at a special meeting held on November 14, 2017, the Board of Health approved the appointment of Dr. Vera Etches as Acting Medical Officer of Health until such time as Council appoints a new Medical Officer of Health; and

WHEREAS at its meeting of February 5, 2018, the Board of Health received information with respect to the legislative requirements and guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Long Term-Care as well as options for the selection and appointment of a Medical Officer of Health; and

WHEREAS the selection and appointment of a new Medical Officer of Health is one of the most significant tasks undertaken by a Board of Health; and

WHEREAS the position of the Medical Officer of Health as head of the Ottawa Public Health Unit makes it important that the Board seize the initiative as it relates to the “next steps” in this matter;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Health for the City of Ottawa Health Unit establish a Sponsors Group comprised of no less than three (3) Board Members, namely Mark Taylor, Peter Tilley and Shad Qadri; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Sponsors Group be tasked with the responsibility of further exploring the options for the selection and appointment of a new Medical Officer of Health and report back to the Board at its April meeting with recommendations on how to move forward; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the work of the Sponsors Group should include, but not be limited to, the following areas:

a)    Timeline implications;

b)   Cost implications;

c)    Precedent for such processes; and

d)   The potential pool of qualified candidates.

CARRIED

MOTION TO ADOPT REPORTS

Motion 21/05

Moved by Member Pinel

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Confirmation of the Chair and Vice-Chair report, the Verbal Report by the Chair of the Board of Health, the Verbal Update by Dr. Vera Etches, Acting Medical Officer of Health, the Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention – Follow-Up Report, the Preparing for the Legalization of Cannabis report, the Healthy Eating, Active Living: Have Your Say – Protecting Vulnerable Populations Through Restrictions in Marketing of Food and Beverages report, the Ottawa Board of Health Public Health Funding and Accountability Agreement - 2017 Year-End Results report, the Attendance at the Association of Local Public Health Agencies’ (Alpha) Board of Health Section Meeting report and the item titled Options for the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment of a Medical Officer of Health be received and adopted, as amended.

CARRIED

MOTIONS OF WHICH NOTICE HAS BEEN GIVEN PREVIOUSLY

There were no motions of which notice had been given previously.

NOTICES OF MOTION (FOR CONSIDERATION AT SUBSEQUENT MEETING)

There were no Notice of Motions (for consideration at a subsequent meeting).

MOTIONS REQUIRING SUSPENSION OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE

As noted in the motion to introduce reports.

INQUIRIES AND ANSWERS

There were no inquiries.

CONFIRMATION BY-LAW

Motion 21/06

Moved by Member Pinel

BE IT RESOLVED THAT Confirmation By-law no. 2018-1, a by-law of the Board of Health for the City of Ottawa Health Unit to confirm the proceedings of the Ottawa Board of Health at its meeting of February 5, 2018, be read and passed.

CARRIED

ADJOURNMENT

The Board adjourned the meeting at 8:25 p.m.

OTTAWA BOARD OF HEALTH